The present invention relates to a dental appliance and a system and a method for treating a malocclusion which may reduce an amount of cooperation required by the patient to treat the malocclusion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dental appliance and a system and a method which may reduce an amount of exercise required by the patient, in conjunction with wearing of the dental appliance, to treat a malocclusion.
It is generally known to provide dental care to a patient. Typically, the patient may visit, for example, a dentist or other type of care provider at the office of the care provider. The dentist, for example, may then examine the patient using various techniques, including x-raying the area to be treated or other image-taking technique. The dentist may then provide the patient with a dental appliance to treat the condition of the patient.
In addition to the dental appliance, the dentist may provide the patient with instructions for exercises to perform while wearing the dental appliance. The exercises may cause, for example, the teeth to move toward a corrected position and may assist in treating the malocclusion.
However, the exercises may be tedious and/or time-consuming for the patient. In some cases, the exercises may cause pain to the patient. Accordingly, the patient may not be motivated to perform the exercises and may abandon them or otherwise not regularly perform the exercises to assist with and/or to correct the malocclusion. As a result, the malocclusion may not be corrected to completion. In other cases, the patient may not have time to perform the exercises because of conflicts such as, for example, employment, social and/or like conflicts or time constraints. Failure to perform the exercises may prevent or otherwise hinder complete correction of a malocclusion.
A need, therefore, exists for a dental appliance and a system and a method for reducing an amount of patient cooperation required for treatment of a malocclusion.